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Rating: Great |
Jarreau's earliest work was more jazz-influenced than the more R&B-oriented material he would become famous for in the early '80s and his singing style here is also noticeably more freeform and percussive than on much of his '80s work and will likely remind you at times of Bobby McFerrin or, alternatively, the scat singing that George Benson made famous during his guitar solos on albums like Breezin' and Weekend in LA.
But even if your tastes run more to pop or R&B than jazz, you should find plenty to like here – Jarreau has always done a great job of crossing genres and appealing to multiple audiences at once – and this is a remarkably solid and confident debut disc, which is also entirely his own (a rare feat for a jazz vocal album), Jarreau handling every mood with equal skill, whether it’s the soulful funk of “You Don’t See Me,” “Raggedy Ann” and “Letter Perfect,” the laid-back jazz balladry of “Susan’s Song” or the spectacular title track, which features a subtle yet stunning vocal performance and would go on to become one of Jarreau’s signature songs. This album is an absolute must for fans of jazz-pop.
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